FDI visits to Ireland fall while regional disparity increases -Tóibín

When he received the figures, in response to his Dáil question, on the amount of visits from potential investors, organised by the IDA to each of the 26 counties, Peadar Tóibín, spokesperson for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation said:“New figures released to Sinn Féin demonstrate that the IDA is failing to support many parts of the country and worryingly the number of potential investor visit has reduced over the past 18 months.“A grossly uneven regional delivery of enterprise and jobs is magnifying the worst jobs crisis in generation and counties such as Donegal, Kerry, Kildare, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Meath and Monaghan who have not received a visit of potential IDA investor this year.“Many of these counties are suffering disproportionately from the economic down turn with unemployment rates and emigration well above the state wide average. It would appear that the actions of the IDA are exasperating the regional disparities in employment. “Also of major concern is the falling number of investor visits. In 2010 the IDA hosted 426 visits, many of these are now at the stage of realising their investments. However by 2011 the IDA had sponsored 341 visits and this year to date the number of visits has reduced down to 239. “Given the lead period of a number of years for FDI it is a concern that since this government came to power the number of site visits has reduced. This will reduce the pool of potential investments in the coming years. So while the government trumpet FDI investment today they need to reverse the reduction of future FDI provision. “Proactive regional promotion has worked in the past. It is of utmost importance that the government direct the IDA to ameliorate the regional disparities and invest in communities hardest hit by unemployment.”

DAIL QUESTION

NO. 298

To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide statistics on the number of site visits for potential investors arranged by the Industrial Development Agency on a county basis from 2002 to 2012.

- Pádraig Mac Lochlainn.

* For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 23rd October, 2012.

Ref No: 46487/12

R E P L Y

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Mr Bruton)

Details of the number of site visits by potential investors to locations in Ireland on a county by county basis, for each of the years 2003 to 2012 inclusive, are set out in the attached tabular statement. I am informed by IDA Ireland that information for 2002 is not available.